"By getting so "huffy" over such things as MSM, APF, DMG, etc.,
I believe we are missing the forest because we keep banging into trees
looking for it. What we might have is the average honest rider who
wants only the best for his horse's health is vilified while someone
else who has developed an effective program using steroids for example
that will allow them to effectively strengthen a horse in a six month
period slowly but completely remove the horse from the drugs so they
are "not competing on performance enhancing drugs", come into a new
season - kick butt and turn a good profit for the horses for a hundred
grand over seas go get absolutely no attention. How's that for a runon
sentence. Our rules and testing procedures are totally inadequate to
detect that but that is the threat. And if it happens and comes to
light it would do irreparable damage to the reputation of the sport. "
What substances does the AERC test
for? Do you know that the AERC is concerned about MSM, DMG, etc to
the exclusion of substances you desire screened.? Do you know that the
AERC is concerned about dandelions? Do you know the name of the lab
the AERC uses? Does the AERC list stay the same from year to year, or
does it change when new threats are discovered?
The AERC states that they are concerned with such substances so if they
say they are concerned with it then I take them for their word. If they
are not they should say they are not - this topic has come up often
enough.
To effectively test for the use of steroids in training (or heaven
forbid designer steroids) as described above for example, the AERC
quite simply doesn't have the funds. I suspect but don't know that it's
very similar to the CA screening. There could be some real nasty legal
issues if the AERC accepted the test in CA in as their testing agent of
testing applied a much different test in other areas. And in CA it is
public law and available to the public.
The CTR organization in FL developed a new drug rule about 5 years ago.
I started that work and someone else picked it up when my term on the
board ran out. We worked with a couple vets from UF on that and I
talked quite a bit with the vet I used when I lived in Sarasota when we
were developing it. For years he ran the testing for drug testing for
AHSA for the Grand Prix winter circuit in SW FL. BTW I showed him the
AERC durg rule and his comment was "they can't be serious?" I would be
extremely surprised if the AERC testing protocol is much different that
that used by the AHSA or I guess it USEF now or that used in SEDRA.
I will agree that more frequent
testing should be done. When I have competed for what I consider a
full season, which is 9 or 10 rides I have been tested a bit less than
one time a season. Personally I would support increasing the drug test
fee from $1 to $5 if it would yield 5 times the tests. If ride fees
went up by $10 to increase tests to a majority of rides I would pay
with a complaint or two. I'm not sure that the average member would
consider that much of an increase money well spent.
I've only been tested once - that was in 1996 at the ROC and every
horse was tested at the finish line.
The only substance that I know for
sure is usually (if not always) is in the screen is bute. I know it
has been screened for in the past because sanctions have been given out.
-- We imitate our masters only because we are not yet masters
ourselves,
and only
We
imitate our masters
only because we are not yet masters ourselves, and only
because
in doing so we
learn the truth about what cannot be imitated.
